Massa-Carrara, only Italian destination suggested by New York Times for 2024 travel

Between Hawaii and Sri Lanka, between Costa Rica and Switzerland, there is the destination you don’t expect: Massa-Carrara. In fact, the province that is home to the Apuan Alps from which you can see the sea has been included in the New York Times newspaper’s recommended list for a must-visit trip for 2024. With a photo of a workshop in Carrara where marble is worked, complete with a reproduction of David’s head on display, the U.S. newspaper’s website counts the Tuscan province among the places to discover, putting emphasis on the possibility of being able to enjoy works of art that will be on display here from Florence thanks to the “Uffizi diffuse” initiative.

“In an effort,” writes the New York Times, "to reduce the crowds that fill the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, the renowned museum has relocated some of its masterpieces to lesser-known places in Tuscany. As part of the latest initiative in the ever-expanding program known as Uffizi Diffusi, a collection of works, including paintings from the studio of the Italian Baroque painter Carlo Dolci, will be displayed this spring in the city of Massa, at the Palazzo Ducale, which also houses the government offices of the province of Massa-Carrara in northwestern Tuscany." And after immediately dropping the ace of notoriety by mentioning the Uffizi Gallery, it goes on to list the beauty and opportunities peculiar to this area: “Art enthusiasts can also explore the surrounding Apuan Alps where the marble of so many masterpieces, including Michelangelo’s David, comes from, visit marble quarries and perhaps even meet a sculptor carving on the side of the road.” A nice image boost for local tourism, which with this important showcase in the U.S. market bodes well for the coming months.

The U.S. market is among the most important in Tuscany after Germany, not only because of the numbers but also because of the spending power the average American tourist may have when coming on vacation. It is worth noting that besides Massa Carrara’s 17th place there are no other Italian destinations suggested and that the other 51 are all off the classic mainstream routes, a map therefore of places to point out well researched to offer its readers a group of destinations that can satisfy even the most refined tourists in their search for authenticity and novelty in the experience of their next trip: the splendid uniqueness of the garden city of Singapore or the wild Tasmania on par with what can be experienced among the white marble of the Apuan Alps.

In the first place elected as a must-see 2024 destination is the “Path of Totality” in North America with the ideal date identified in next April 8: that day in a territory 16 thousand kilometers long and lard 160 will in fact be possible to witness the total eclipse of the sun that will cross the American continent. “From the beaches of Mazatlán, Mexico, to the rugged inlets of Maberly, Newfoundland,” writes the NYT, “the sky will be the stage on April 8 when a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America. This year, the moon will be near its closest point to Earth, resulting in an unusually wide band and long-lasting totality. Mexico, Canada and 13 U.S. states will welcome the darkness with celebrations.” For the objectively rare event in the lifetime of a human being we are also given news that events and celebrations are being prepared: “The Portal Eclipse Festival in Mazatlán promises ’spiritual growth’ through DJs, yoga and more. NASA will broadcast from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where $15 will gain admission to a festival and eclipse glasses called, appropriately, The Greatest Spectacles. On the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, Cosmologists Without Borders will offer space-themed programs. And if you’re ready to run with a headlamp, consider a race in Millinocket, Maine. You can find an interactive map at eclipse2024.org and a list of activities at nationaleclipse.com.”

For the record, in second place is the timeless Paris, which for 2024 will also be the site of the Summer Olympics... on the other hand, you know, for a trip it’s the suggestion it provokes in us that counts.

Image: Carrara, the marble quarries and the Bridges of Vara. Photo: Alessandro Pasquali / Danae Project

Massa-Carrara, only Italian destination suggested by New York Times for 2024 travel

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